Community / Sandwick Junior High celebrates 150 years – and unearths time capsule
SANDWICK crowds were treated to blue skies and sunshine as they celebrated 150 years of the local school today (Tuesday).
The school hosted a community café this morning, accompanied by music from young musicians and old photos to reminisce over.
The morning was followed by the main event: the digging up of a time capsule from 1996 in the community garden next to the school.
Ex-pupil Lewie Peterson from Sandwick was in primary six when the capsule was buried.
“I think we had to chose stuff that reflected the time we were living in,” he told Shetland News before the digging began.
“I’m not sure how wisely we chose it… I suppose we were thinking about if you were to think 20 years before, what did you find different?
“I remember the local press being there [in 1996], I do mind the build-up quite vividly.
“I mind not even really realising what a time capsule was, it was the first time we’d heard that concept.
“It’s kind of nice to have it because I think we sometimes do need stop and look back. I don’t think we do that enough.”
The crowd began to gather in the garden as the school’s janitor Gus Dow prepared to dig.
Despite some concerns about the location of the capsule, it was soon found safe and well, with only a small amount of water damage.
Dow told Shetland News: “We were a little bit nervous that it might not actually be there because we’d heard multiple rumours that it had been moved… we weren’t 100 per cent convinced there was actually something there.
“It was there, bit stinky, but it seems to be in not too bad condition.”
Peterson did the honours of opening the capsule.
He remarked upon opening it: “I don’t mind the nineties smelling like this!”
The capsule contained coins, photos, newspapers, magazines, drawings and writing from the pupils there at the time.
Samantha Flaws, acting head teacher at Sandwick, said to Shetland News: “We wanted to do something really special for the end of term, so we’ve put this together with our 150 year anniversary, the digging of the time capsule and an afternoon of celebration.
“Everybody’s been working really hard, our pupil council have been instrumental in a lot of the organisation of this and a lot of staff who’ve pulled together to make it happen.
“We’d spoken quite a lot to some of the staff that were involved in it and we had an idea [of what would be inside] but I’m quite shocked at how much has come out of it and a lot has survived as well.
“We were a bit worried if we dug it up and it had been water damaged, so it’s lovely to see so much that has survived.
“It’s lovely to see as well how interested the community is to have a look and read – a lot of memories shared I think.”
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